Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body cannot produce it. However, it has many roles and is associated with impressive health benefits.

It is water-soluble and is found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwis, peppers, broccoli, kale and spinach.

The recommended daily dose for vitamin C is 90 mg - 100 mg (DGE recommendation) ( source 1 ).

While it's generally recommended to get your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their needs.

Here are 7 scientifically proven benefits of taking a vitamin C supplement.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body's natural defenses ( 2 ).

Antioxidants are molecules that strengthen the immune system. They do this by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.

When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a condition known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases ( 3 ).

Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation ( 4 , 5 ).

Approximately one 44% of German adults have high blood pressure ( 6 ). (If you exclude those under 20 from the survey, i.e. if you calculate German citizens over 20, well over 50% of German citizens would be hypertensive patients.)

High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide ( 7 ).

Studies have shown that vitamin C can help lower blood pressure in both patients with and without hypertension.

An animal study found that taking a vitamin C supplement helped relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, which helped lower blood pressure ( 8 ).

Additionally, an analysis of 29 human studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement increased systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 3.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by an average of 1.5 in healthy adults mmHg decreased.

In adults with high blood pressure, vitamin C supplements reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 1.7 mmHg ( 9 ).

Although these results are promising, it is not clear whether the effects on blood pressure are long-term. In addition, people with high blood pressure should not rely solely on vitamin C for treatment.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide ( 7 ).

Many factors increase the risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides or LDL cholesterol (bad), and low levels of HDL cholesterol (good).

Vitamin C may help reduce these risk factors, which may reduce the risk of heart disease.

For example, an analysis of 9 studies with a total of 293,172 participants found that people who took at least 700 mg of vitamin C daily had a 25% lower risk of heart disease after 10 years than people who did not take a vitamin C supplement ( 10 ).

Interestingly, another analysis of 15 studies found that consuming vitamin C from foods - not supplements - was associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

However, scientists weren't sure whether people who consumed foods rich in vitamin C also had healthier lifestyles than those who took supplements. It therefore remains unclear whether the differences are due to vitamin C or other aspects of their diet ( 11 ).

Another analysis of 13 studies examined the effects of taking at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily on heart disease risk factors such as blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The analysis found that taking a vitamin C supplement significantly reduced LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by about 7.9 mg/dL and blood triglycerides by 20.1 mg/dL ( 12 ).

In short, it appears that taking or consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C daily may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, if you already eat a diet rich in vitamin C, supplements may not provide additional heart health benefits.

Gout is an arthritis. In Germany, 2.8 percent of men and 0.4 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 59 are affected. ( 13 ).

It is incredibly painful and involves inflammation of the joints, particularly the big toes. People with gout experience swelling and sudden, severe attacks of pain ( 14 ).

Gout symptoms occur when there is too much uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product produced by the body. In high concentrations it can crystallize and deposit in the joints.

Interestingly, several studies have shown that vitamin C can help reduce uric acid in the blood and therefore protect against gout attacks.

For example, a study of 1,387 men found that those who consumed the most vitamin C had significantly lower blood uric acid levels than those who consumed the least ( 15 ).

Another study followed 46,994 healthy men over 20 years to determine whether vitamin C intake was linked to the development of gout. It found that people who took a vitamin C supplement had a 44% lower risk of gout ( 16 ).

Additionally, an analysis of 13 studies found that taking a vitamin C supplement for 30 days significantly reduced blood uric acid compared to a placebo ( 17 ).

While there appears to be a strong connection between vitamin C intake and uric acid levels, further studies are needed on the effects of vitamin C on gout.

Iron is an important nutrient that has a variety of functions in the body. It is important for making red blood cells and transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Vitamin C supplements can help improve the absorption of iron from food. Vitamin C helps convert poorly absorbed iron, such as B. plant sources of iron, into a form that is more easily absorbed ( 18 ).

This is particularly useful for people on a meat-free diet, as meat is an important source of iron.

In fact, simply consuming 100 mg of vitamin C can improve iron absorption by 67% ( 19 ).

As a result, vitamin C may help reduce the risk of anemia in people with iron deficiency.

In one study, 65 children with mild iron deficiency anemia were given a vitamin C supplement. Researchers found that the supplement alone helped control their anemia ( 20 ).

If you have low iron levels, eating more foods rich in vitamin C or taking a vitamin C supplement can help improve your blood iron levels.

One of the main reasons people take vitamin C supplements is to strengthen their immune system, as vitamin C is involved in many parts of the immune system.

First, vitamin C promotes the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which protect the body from infections ( 21 ).

Second, vitamin C helps these white blood cells function more effectively while protecting them from damage from potentially harmful molecules like free radicals.

Third, vitamin C is an essential component of the skin's defense system. It is actively transported to the skin, where it can act as an antioxidant and strengthen the skin's barriers ( 22 ).

Studies have also shown that taking vitamin C can shorten wound healing time ( 23 , 24 ).

Additionally, low levels of vitamin C have been linked to poor health outcomes.

For example, people with pneumonia tend to have lower levels of vitamin C, and vitamin C supplements have been shown to shorten recovery time ( 25 , 26 ).

Dementia is a broad term that describes symptoms of poor thinking and memory.

It affects over 35 million people worldwide and typically occurs in older adults ( 27 ).

Studies suggest that oxidative stress and inflammation near the brain, spine, and nerves (collectively known as the central nervous system) may increase the risk of dementia ( 28 ).

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Low levels of this vitamin have been linked to impaired thinking and memory ( 29 , 30 ).

Additionally, several studies have shown that people with dementia may have lower levels of vitamin C in their blood ( 31 , 32 ).

Additionally, high vitamin C intake from foods or supplements has been shown to have a protective effect on thinking and memory as you age ( 33 , 34 , 35 ).

Vitamin C supplements can be helpful against conditions such as dementia if you don't get enough vitamin C from your diet. However, additional human studies are needed to understand the effects of vitamin C supplements on nervous system health ( 36 ).

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that must be obtained from food or supplements.

It has been linked to many impressive health benefits such as: B. increasing antioxidant levels, lowering blood pressure, protecting against gout attacks, improving iron absorption, boosting immunity, and reducing the risk of heart disease and dementia.

Overall, vitamin C supplements are a great and easy way to boost your vitamin C intake if you're struggling to get enough from your diet